scrum

Hi there

We are family of 4 heading for Melbourne in Jan 08. Just wondering if there was anyone else on here from my neck of the woods.

Living in Laois at the moment after nearly 17 years in the UK we came back and it was the biggest mistake ever.

Hubby IT Manager, I'm at home and we have two girls 7 and 9.

Trish

JohnandMichelle

Hi Trish

I'm from Galway and had lived in the UK for 9 years from 87-96. Been here on the Gold Coast 18 months with English OH and eldest girl, 14, and youngest boy, 10. Wish there were more Irish heading to GC - seems to be either Perth, Melbourne or Brisbane. Best of luck with the move. Michelle

scrum

Hi Michelle

How are you enjoying it out there? Our visa app went in online last week so fingers crossed things will move quickly. It looks like hubby already has a job - last interview coming up so fingers crossed.

How did your kids settle when you went? Mine can't wait to move so am hoping the settlement issue won't be an issue if you know what I mean.

Any hints and tips then fire away.

Trish

JohnandMichelle

Online visa? Does that mean its a spouse visa - they don't take too long at all apparently. Me, John and the kids have settled very well. The early days were the toughest for me, but it got better once I made some good friends. We're building our own place at the moment and hope to move in before Christmas. Shannon's made some good friends, both ex-pat and aussies at school and has a Saturday job in the local vets, which she loves. We were more worried about her settling as she was 13 when we moved. Billy was 9 and he's been fine also. Find that email, texting and internet are a great help. I can keep in touch with home so easily. I listen to Liveline on the laptop while doing the housework...! We've had our ups and downs over the past 18 months, but love the Gold Coast and don't regret the move one bit. Michelle x

@boy

Hi Trish,

My wife (also a Patricia) and I have been in Melbourne for 5 years now.
Both originally from Tipperary, after living/working in Dublin for 7 years, We emigrated here in 2002 under a Skilled Ind visa.
My ACS MODL was IT Manager at the time.

Our timeline for ref.
http://www.austimeline.com/austime/a...yApp.jsp?id=26

I currently work for ANZ bank with the Network services team, previously spent 2 years here with the managed network services team at Hewlett Packard.

Living in Rosanna (NE suburb of Melbourne) and have been citizens since Jan 2005.

If we can answer any questions for you, feel free to send them on.

Regards,

Barney & Patricia
http://www.barneyhenry.com

TELLYADDICT1

Howaya!

I'm a nurse from Cork and OH is Scottish (IT). We met and lived in London till '98 then moved to Scotland. Love Scotland but just too expensive for us now. Hope to head out to Melbourne early next year, depending on house sale. Not looking forward to having that conversation with my Mum!!!

Good luck & slainte

TA

scrum

It's good to hear the positives. Online a spouse visa no I'm afraid not. The whole visa process changed on Sept 1st and you can now submit online instead of paperbased. Our agent is great and has done most of the work for us - we just had to give the forms he filled in the once over. We're going on te 176 which is a family sponsored visa - O/H aunt is the angel who's helped us out.

We have skype here but when I tried to explain it to my parents it went completely over their heads. I think I'll have to set the whole thing up for them and do a demo before we go. LOL

We're expecting it to take roughly 2 years before we feel really settled but are def looking forward to the whole thing. Just have to wait for out meds and then the visa which shouldn't be too long and Aussie here we come.

Trish

scrum

Hi Barney

Thanks for the reply. Funny but the Irish appear to be very quiet on this forum. It was just pure chance that I posted the question - I'm glad I did now.

Don't know the area you live but am familiar with Puffing Billy area, Berwick, Hastings, Seaford, Frankeston, etc I have a bro in Seaford so he'd been told he may have to put us up for a few weeks til we find a rental - that should be fun.

I def have a load of questions for you but have gone blank right now - typical - just as well this isn't a citizen exam LOL.

We don't have a clue where is best to rent / live. We were hoping to rent for a while before we buy as we want to be sure of the area we eventually settle in. Mark is an IT Manager with BearingPoint over here but has his second interview with SMS at the end of this month (date to be decided).

Whats the IT situation over there? Good, bad, middling. Have heard that it's the usual - it's easier to get a job if you already have a job and they like you to have aussie experience.

No doubt we'll find out soon enough.

Any recommendations on areas to move to initially. He expects to be working in Southbank so would want something ideally within 30 to 45 mins of there. Any advise greatfully accepted.

Trish

scrum

Great - someone from Cork. I was born and bred in Ballyphehane, moved to Dublin in 1986, London in 1987, Warwickshire in 1991, Northamptonshire in 1998 and Abbeyleix in 2003 next stop Melbourne in 2008.

Must have very itchy feet or the wrong type of blood. LOL

What stage are you at? Give all the details.

Trish

CynOpt

Born in Tipperary and lived there up to 78.
then Cork county and all over the city until 91 followed by a brief stint in Dublin
Warks/Brum until 2001, lincolnshire for a year, now Somerset/Dorset for the last 6.
It's a Somerset boy I've managed to persuade to join me on my adventure.
So far I've lived 18 places, roll on the big move.

Going to Melbourne on an old style 496, when they get around to processing the last few paper applications.

I'm an IT Manager and my OH's cousin is sponsoring us.

scrum

Welcome to the club. When are you hoping to make the move? Have you sold house yet? How organised are you?

Trish

gidxg03

Hi,

Were from Galway. Got our visa a few months ago. Flights booked to Melbourne for December 9th. Good luck.

David.

scrum

Hi David

Congrats on having your visas. Where abouts in Melbourne are you headed? Do you have a job yet? What about kids?

God I must sound really nosy to eveyone but am desperate to find out as much as possible about everything.

Trish

CynOpt

oohh you'll wish you hadnt asked that....

Originally hoped to be there this year, but visa dragged out, had agency issues ( that were FULLY resolved - but did cause delays ) and a friend who was going to provide stat decs who managed to drag it out for 6 weeks before NOT turning up with the goods. ( 70 year old MIL managed it in 2 days flat ).
So when the agent asked in the middle of July, shall we wait til sept, I said, no - go ahead, its already 3 months behind where we wanted to be, and that will only drag it out for another month, plus who knows what delays might happen with the new ones.
So I've been chuffed to bits for the last 6 weeks that my application was in, but just found out today, the onlines are all going through ahead of us now. So a bit miffed(understatement of the year).

Anyway, as for house sales, that side is all sorted, moved in with OH two years ago and kept my house, then sold it this year when we decided to emigrate, so that's all done and dusted.
Been clearing out wardrobes for last month. I know every area of Melbourne I want to live in, how much it costs, whats the best airline to go with and where to apply for jobs, i just need to GET THERE. <KABOOM>

So still to do: Meds/PCCS, oh yes, and get the old Irish passport renewed and sent off, thought there was PLENTY of time on it, but not at the rate things are going.

CynOpt

ME TOO, I'm thinking I'll tell her when I'm in the airport.
Or that the new somerset area code is 0061. She'll never know!!